Burnout is high among the majority of Maltese nurses, exposing a “worrying reality” that requires immediate attention, according to the latest surveys.

Ninety per cent of more than 200 nurses interviewed in three hospitals across Malta reported high levels of depersonalisation – where burnout leads them to view patients in an impersonal way; a chore.

It’s a worrying reality that requires immediate attention according to surveys

The situation varies slightly in Gozo where a second population survey of 121 Maltese nurses working in the general hospital revealed that 88 per cent suffered from a feeling of depersonalisation.

The figures emerged from two studies carried out by Dr Michael Galea, a clinical psychologist and university lecturer, among Maltese nurses in Malta – at particular wards in Mater Dei Hospital, Karin Grech Rehab Hospital and Mount Carmel Hospital – and Gozo.

Dr Galea assessed the nurses using the established Maslach Burnout Inventory to measure burnout using three scales: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment.

“Depersonalisation was high among Maltese nurses in both studies highlighting a very high sense of unfeeling and impersonal response towards patients, care treatment, and instructions from their superiors,” Dr Galea told The Sunday Times of Malta.

Nurses in Malta also emerged as more emotionally exhausted than their counterparts in Gozo with 59 per cent scoring as “highly” drained when compared to 30 per cent in the Gozo study.

The situation is also leading to feelings of low personal accomplishment among nurses, with just less than half of the nurses in Malta (42 per cent) reporting high professional achievement. Interestingly, in Gozo burnout seems to have a bigger impact with 94 per cent scoring in the low range.

Dr Galea believes one of the reasons behind this is the average age and length of employment. The majority of nurses in Gozo had been in the same job for 21 years and more than half the respondents were 47 years old or older.

Reaching one’s breaking point through job related issues is a serious matter

“The opposite is true with Malta. Younger nurses may have more updated formation possibilities and although experience brings with it skills, it may also require ongoing formation programmes,” he said.

Dr Galea, who lectures at the university’s Faculty of Health Sciences, also studied the incremental validity of spirituality in predicting burnout among Maltese professional nurses.

“As expected, burnout negatively correlated with subjective well-being,” the family therapist said.

Delving into the way forward to counter nurses’ burnout, Dr Galea referred to international experts’ six-step method: good nurse-to-patient ratio, perception of self-control at work, job-related rewards, social support at work, fairness on the job, and values.

Another recommendation is for nursing managers to explore ways of reducing job stress and tapping techniques for building social support networks at hospital.

“Reaching one’s breaking point through job related issues is a serious matter that needs attending to, especially as this reality has a direct bearing on patients’ holistic well-being.”

Dr Galea will be highlighting some of these findings during The Faculty of Health Sciences Symposium being held at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Mater Dei Hospital, on Thursday.

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